You’ve heard the cliché New Year’s resolutions: hit the gym, cut out sugar, stop smoking, save money, and so on. They’re all great resolutions – if you can stick to them.
In 2018, you may want to consider straying from the resolution norm and instead vowing to focus more on your personal and business technology. After all, technology is everywhere in the 21st century. We came up with a list of possible resolutions for you to try out this year, and we’re fairly confident they’re more sustainable then waking up at 5am to hit the gym.
Update Your Software More Frequently
Cyber criminals and hackers are on the rise, and updating your software, no matter how tedious, is the best way to protect yourself from their attacks. If you let your software sit outdated, you’re essentially opening the door and letting them in.
As soon as a new patch is found to fix bugs and holes in your software, hackers are already finding new ones. It becomes a never-ending cycle. That’s why it’s pertinent that you keep up-to-date with updating your software to the most recent version, and the new year is a great time to start buckling down on doing just that.
Focus More on Cyber Security
To expand on the last point, why not take it a step further? If you own or work for a company that has technology in place you’re at risk for cyber-attacks. Here at Sierra, we offer a no-nonsense security assessment and consulting services designed to help protect your information.
You can receive services such as: vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and consulting in various aspects to improve and secure your network. You never know when your business will become the target of a cyber-attack, so take the time this year to protect yourself before the attack occurs.
Cut Down on Downtime and The Cost Associated
Does your MSP monitor your network 24/7/365? The engineering team here at Sierra does. In the new year, you should focus on preventing network outages and disruptions in your network.
We take a proactive approach by monitoring the network and server equipment for predicative failures instead of relying on detection systems to find EXISTING threats. This is the best way to cut down on downtime, and in turn will save you money. Hey, it looks like you can check off “save money” on your new year’s resolution list after all!
Come Up with New and Thoughtful Passwords
Are you still using ‘password123’ for every password you’ve ever created? Maybe 2018 is the year where you start to better secure your accounts by choosing stronger passwords.
Remember when creating a password, it’s important to focus on length over complexity. A password like ‘123aA!’ would take over 735 billion attempts to crack. On the same note, a password like ‘Jimtriedsippingcola’ would take over 760 septillion attempts.
Another option to consider is: two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA is an extra layer of security added alongside normal credentials, such as username and password, and will help ensure your accounts are safe.
Refresh Your Company Website
48% of people cited a website’s design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business. Don’t lose additional business this year because your website doesn’t lend credibility to the work your company does.
If you’ve been meaning to refresh or completely redesign your website, 2018 is the year. The team at Sierra provides end-to-end website design and development services on any platform. We can help you create traditional HTML/CSS sites, as well as sites built on content management systems such as WordPress. Also, the site will be fully responsive and SEO optimized, to ensure your website translates the services you provide in an attractive and functional manner.
Let Sierra Help You with Any or All of the Above!
Our team prides ourselves on being a one-stop-shop. Why outsource to various companies when you can get all your IT needs addressed in one place? We offer managed services, development and design, telephony and VoIP, hardware and software, and that’s just scratching the surface.
If your IT needs help in 2018, you can trust the experts to get your business back on track and prospering in the new year. Now is as good a time as ever, give us a call and we’ll set up a free consultation.
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Sierra Experts is an IT Managed Service and Support provider, specializing in IT Monitoring and Management, Cloud/Virtual Systems, Hosting, VoIP/SIP PBX Trunks and Solutions, Physical Server Hosting, Website Design and Development, Software Development, and Hardware and Software reselling.
